Troy's Anatomy
by Donna Vito Frutti
Summary: Another girl. Another one-night-stand. Will this one last? And why would this badass chick stick around, anyway? What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object?


**At the bar:**

"Can I buy you a drink?"

"Already have one. But thanks."

"Tough day at work, huh?"

"The same old shit. Different day. Incompetent subordinates. Idiot superiors. You?"

"Well, it ain't boring. Every case of plastic surgery is different and interesting. My partner and I manage pretty well."

"You're a plastic surgeon, then. Funny how that slipped out. Impeccable dressing style, expensive watch, expensive drink, extremely good looks. Sitting alone at the bar making random, _innocent _conversation with an attractive woman. I know your kind. Hell, I am the kind."

"It seems we have an understanding, then."

"Not tonight, sugar. I gotta date already. But in case it doesn't work out, here. And if you ever feel like having a fling, call me."

"Can I at least know your name?"

"Natalia. Natalia Jones. Google it."

"You famous? Christian Troy."

"It's very nice to meet you, Dr Troy."

He calls the next day.

Dates.

She's offered a limited and temporary working role in the Troy/McNamara business. Sean likes her. She works maybe 3 days a week or 3 hours for four days a week. She needs the extra time to focus on something else.

They are very attracted to each other and fall hard for each other.

But then old habits kick in and they fall into the same old patterns. Christian cheats, while Natalia goes steady for the first time. He tries the same old tactics to drive her away.

* * *

After a long time going strong, she catches him cheating on her.

She freezes on the spot. Says nothing. And then leaves the room. Waits in the living room.

"Natalia. I'm sorry you had to see that. I just. I wasn't thinking. And I was under a lot of stress and...It didn't mean anything..."

"Happens, I guess. I mean it's not like we're exclusive or anything."

"You're okay with this?"

"Sure. Yeah. It's just one out of many things we both need to work on. Change won't come easy."

"I think you just like being the injured party, coz that way you don't have to take responsibility if anything goes wrong."

"No, Christian. I just really like you." A pause. "You wanna get rid of me, you'll have to try harder."

* * *

**Later:**

"I think we should try being exclusive."

"I'd love that."

* * *

She walks in on him and another girl in the apartment. Leaves the room.

Waits.

"Sorry you had to see that." Not sounding sorry at all.

"You cheated on me." She said as a matter of fact, sighing.

"I guess, some people never change."

"Don't be an asshole, Christian. I know what you're doing. And I'm not falling for it."

"Jeez, you must really hate yourself to keep sticking around. What's the matter, sweetheart? You convinced you'll never find someone else?"

"You know bloody well I can always find someone else, Christian. I can find someone _better_. But what I want, what I need is you, so just shut up and deal with it."

"You need help. You must really like pain."

"Pain or poison, if that's what you're offering, I'll gladly take it."

"Listen to me, Natalia. There's no future here, alright. You're a bloody good fuck and it's nice not having to look for a new pussy every night, but it gets old fast. Boring. Stale. And I like it pretty and fresh."

"Is that all you got? Harsh words and cheat tactics. You wanna play? Bring it on, asshole. I can take it. But I'm not leaving you."

"Is that a challenge?"

"If that's what it takes. You ain't doing to me what you did to Julia or that blind girl."

* * *

He actually brings home a girl and does it in the bedroom. Knowing fully well that Natalia's there.

She walks into the bedroom, determined. "I like to watch, if you don't mind."

They kiss each other through it, around it, with the girl in the middle. And then she leaves and waits in the living room as usual.

"You're still here."

"I like how hard you try. It's sweet."

"You're crazy. You know that? Crazy, delusional, clingy."

"No, Dr Troy. This is my longest streak in a long time. I'm not screwing that up jus' because you had a fancy whim. And I'm not giving up on us."

"So I'm your experiment. I'm proof of what you can bag."

"You're extremely baggable, Christian. You should be proud. Isn't that what you're all about? The packaging?"

"God, you're pathetic. Leave me alone, dammit."

"You want me out? Get a restraining order. Oh wait, how many miles radius is it? Five? Well, I'll be waiting at the sixth. And you can't keep me out at work. Shut me out and I'll crawl my way back into your life. I'll claw my way through that door if I have to, but I'm not leaving you."

A pause.

"So screw other women all you like, Christian, but the only real way I'm gonna leave you is if you hate me or if you hurt me and that ain't happening."

"Oh, get out."

"No."

"I want you to leave, bitch!"

"No. Make me, you bastard."

He tries to drag her out but she uses her skills to incapacitate him.

"Ex-military, remember?"

"Get off me!"

"No, you listen and listen good. You are not getting rid of me that easily. I won't be one of your conquests and I sure as hell won't be one of those who got away. I'll fight for us if it's the last thing I do. I'll hang on to you if it kills me. But. I'm. Not. Leaving. You. You hear me? I'm not? You mean too much to me and I know you still care about me. So until you can really, really convince me otherwise, I'm staying. I suggest you do the same, instead of running away from your feelings. You got that, you asshole?"

"Now I'm gonna take a shower and then I'm gonna make us some dinner."

It's happening. It's really happening.

She turned on the shower but then sits on the toilet and cries.

He knows he hurt her. So he presses his face to the bathroom door, knowing she's upset and knocks softly. "I'm sorry, Natalia," he says softly almost to himself. On the other side, although it's very faint, she hears it.

When she comes out, he's made dinner. They kiss and make up. Embrace. Have dinner silently.

* * *

Natalia, Christian and Sean attend a medical conference. Natalia wants to make use of this opportunity to network and get clients or funding.

Christian humiliates her in front of her potential supporters.

"Let's go home."

She and Christian have a fight later that night at home.

"What the hell was that?"

"Well, you did challenge me."

"Congratulations, Christian, you discovered an amazing new method to drive people away. You're finally growing up."

"You know what I'm pleased about? You ruined your chances of setting up your own cute little shop."

"Screw you, Christian. I'm just gonna make it a point to meet people without you."

"Are you sure? We run in the same circles, don't we? And I'm pretty well established in a practice that's already in high demand. Who are they gonna listen to, I wonder?"

"I'll get Sean to vouch for me, don't you worry."

"You wanna drag Sean into this? A family man? Nice, kind Sean?"

"Screw you."

"Is that anger, I detect? That's good. It's passion. It's _love." _He said, mocking.

"So what, you're gonna ruin me professionally, is that it?"

"Whatever it takes, sweetheart."

"You know it's kinda funny. If you put in as much dedication and hard work into keeping me as you do into driving me away, it may actually work between us. In fact.

If you did that around 15 years ago, you'd be with Julia right now. Annie would be your child and not Sean's. A family that you always wanted."

"Well, thank you for your insight, but you can keep it. I'm part of the McNamara family whether or not it's by blood, and they're a part of me. Always will be. It's more than I can say for you. You? You're disposable. You're nothing. And I already got plenty of that."

"That's good, that's good. Keep believing that. It'll remove the sting."

"If I want a sting removed, I'll have a wet pussy sit on it."

"I can only hope you weren't expecting me to do it for you. Soothe your suffering soul. My loins be burnin' but just not for you."

"That's because I haven't soothed it for you in a while. I'm not going to, either. But not to worry, I already have a date planned."

"You do, do you? A cheap Julia knockout? Coz you can't get the real thing?"

He smirks. "Who said it's just one?"

Natalia fumed inside.

"You piece of shit!"

"And you're only just noticing."

"Get out."

"My apartment, sweetheart. You leave."

"Get away from me. Oh, you think you're winning?"

"All I want is the whole apartment to myself tonight coz there'll be girls in almost every corner and I'm gonna screw them all. Whether or not you're here. Feel free to join them, if you like. You're just one of them, after all."

"You think that's how you're gonna get rid of me?"

"Don't know. Don't care. You can stay and watch if you want."

"All that trouble just for me. You must really care, Christian." She spat.

"Yes, it's bloody romantic. And that's all you're gonna get from me from now on. You want poison and pain? Go ahead. Take the full dose."

"Enough!"

"Enough with the pathetic attempts, Christian. You want to play? Let's play." She shoves him hard. Caught by surprise, he fell back a step.

"I'll even make it easier for you."

Shoves him.

"You want me gone?"

Shoves him.

"You want a real deal-breaker?"

Shoves him.

"Want me to really, _truly_ be gone?"

Shoves him.

"It's really, really easy."

She slaps him.

"Hit me back."

Shoves him.

"Go on. Hit me."

Slaps him again.

"Hit me, hit me."

Raises her hand but he ducks.

"You're crazy. I'm not gonna hit you."

"Even if I tell you I'll leave you if you do? Even if I won't press charges? You have my word. And you know I never go back on my word. Go ahead, Christian."

"Don't be ridiculous."

"Take a swing. You know you want to. The world's your oyster and only I stand in the way. Hit me."

She slaps him.

"Enough. Enough, already. Natalia..."

She slaps him.

"Hit me, Christian. Help me leave you."

She raised her hand one last time and this time he caught it.

And then leaning in, he captured her lips in a yearning kiss.

* * *

**Later, in bed:**

In the warm embrace.

"This is it, isn't it?"

"I think so."

"You know, I never would have guessed you'd sabotage me professionally to get rid of me."

"Anything for you, sweetheart. You're worth the effort."

"And I'm not leaving because of that, you know. Your tactics aren't so hot."

"I think they're brilliant. They changed your mind, though, didn't they?

I'm sorry."

"I know. I'm sorry, too.

"It would have really worked between us, you know. If we had just tried harder."

"I know that. And I'll carry that regret with me to the grave."

"You'd rather carry the pain/that than the possibility, wouldn't you?"

"Anything that remained of you, yes. I'll never forget you. You fought for me more than anyone ever did. Tooth and nail. And claw. And because you _wanted_ to. For a moment, I felt whole. Complete. Thank you."

"I was happy, too, Christian and it was enough. Well, we're free now. Let's see if that will get us together one day. But promise me that the next time you get a chance to be happy, you'll stay happy."

"I don't know if I can promise that, Natalia."

"You could try at least."

"Alright."

"You deserve to be happy, Christian. But perhaps getting what you deserve isn't good for you right now. You need space to, I dunno, spread your wings or whatever."

"I want you to know that I loved what we had together. Even if it was short lived. And sweetheart, I lied, you could never be stale. You're as fresh as... a painting.

"Thank you.

I'll drop in tomorrow to collect all my things while you're at work. I have a key. No need for you to be here."

She turns to leave.

"Natalia!"

"Yeah."

"I Iove you."

"I love you, too. Right when we're leaving each other, huh? Damn this break up is hard."

"Sucks to be us, doesn't it?"

"I know, right?"

"Listen, you ever feel like having a fling, you call me, okay?"

"Absolutely."

"Goodbye, Christian."

"Take care, Natalia."

* * *

**A/N****: I think of Natalia as a combination of Julia and Natasha and perhaps with a little Liz thrown in coz she's awesome. These are the three main women who had a profound impact in Christian's life (I'm not counting Kimber yet, coz I'm still in season 2). Of course, there is quite a bit of self insert in her, too. (Coz who wouldn't want Christian Troy or Julian McMahon himself, even for a little while? :) )**

**Like Julia, Natalia is the kind of woman that Christian wants. She can keep up with him. Like Natasha, Natalia sees the good in him and perhaps even the bad but isn't an angel herself. Unlike them, she doesn't let him push her away from his life. She's usually nice and fun but also has a fierce temper when angry. Christian, of course, has a history of sabotaging his own chances at happiness because he can't handle it or because he's scared.**

**So what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object?**


End file.
